“Sign Me Up,” Why Brendan Fraser Didn’t Hesitate to Say He’d Do Another “The Mummy” Movie

After a few years away from the spotlight due to personal issues, Brendan Fraser has experienced a recent career revival. He is part of the HBO Max TV show "Doom Patrol" and the FX series "Trust". But this actor is fondly remembered for many roles he played in the 1990s and 2000s movies, such as "Blast from the Past," "Crash," and "Encino Man." Given that, it's natural that his newly reclaimed actor position is giving the media and fans the opportunity to ask about past roles they love.
One of those projects is "The Mummy," which help him land on the A-list. Alongside Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, and Oded Fehr, Fraser appeared in the 1999 version of "The Mummy" by Stephen Sommers as Rick O’Connell. He reprised the character in 2001's "The Mummy Returns" and 2008's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor". Then, in 2017, the franchise was rebooted with Tom Cruise playing the protagonist, as part of Universal Studios' plans to build a cinematic universe containing all of its legacy horror characters. But the reboot was not successful as expected.
Despite that 2017 failure, many fans still want to see more of "The Mummy" series. Given this, it's hardly a surprise that Fraser was asked about returning to to one of his most famous film roles: adventurer Rick O'Connell in "The Mummy".

Source: © Universal/The Mummy

In a recent interview, Fraser showed that he’s ready to take on the role of Rick O’Connell once more. Although he made it clear that he didn't know if anything was in the works, the actor was quick to say he would be ready for the job. Jokingly, he said, “Gosh, I don't know any juicy details about it, but it's kinda been an open-ended question for some time now. I'm not opposed to it. I don't know an actor who doesn't want a job. I don't think I've been this famous and unsalaried at the same time in my professional life, so sign me up. We've all got to start somewhere"

Source: © Universal/The Mummy

In 2019, when faced with the same question, our beloved actor had a similar reaction: “Absolutely!” But the actor then recognized how challenging it would be to create a new installment, explaining, “I know how hard it is to make that movie.” He continued, “I tried to do it three times, and the essential ingredient is fun. You gotta remember to have fun. So if there’s a fun way to approach it again, I’m all in.”

Source: Invision/Invision/East News

We can ask Brendan Fraser all the live long day about whether he’d come back, and the answer remains the same: he's ready, but Universal is not interested in producing additional "The Mummy" movies. Anyway, it’s great to see Fraser working on more projects. "The Whale" (2022) where Fraser portrays Charlie, an obese and solitary English professor is currently part of talks during awards season. Additionally, the actor has been cast in the 2023 film "Killers of the Flower Moon," which will be directed by Martin Scorsese and feature Leonardo DiCaprio.